TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

I have just been listening to the original Royal Festival Hall Gig and wonder if there are any good recordings of the Liege and Lief line Up.

So that's a no is it?

fraid so, the version you have seems to be the only one in circulation :'(

I think the L&L line up only performed live 4 times before Sandy and Ashley decided to leave, which would explain the lack of recorded material. I am guessing that the audience recording of the RFH gig may be the only live recording of the L&L line up, but I could be wrong (and would happily be proved so)

 Joe Boyd and Ashley's sleeve notes to the remastered L&L suggest more performances than this: 7 British Gigs plus a Danish Radio broadcast on 7/11/69 - does that exist?  Is the RFH recording accessable?

I think from the replies on here, that would be a 'yes'  ::)  This probably isn't the most helpful response you'll ever receive to a question - apologies  :)  Next question?  ;)

ps more helpful response sent by IM  :)

Would it be possible for me to also receive such a helpful response?

A few L7L songs are in the boxed set. What gig is on the torrents?

As far as I am aware Liege and Lief at the Royal Festival Hall 24 September 1969.

This is what is up there (and everywhere else):

Fairport Convention
September 24, 1969
Royal Festival Hall
Premier performance of the Liege & Lief material

Remaster by Dirk Riezebos of Torrent (#174990)
Lineage:
>Torrent (#174990) Flacs converted to wave and stitched back into one wave file in Nero Wave Editor
which was then normalized.
>Pitch correction carried out GoldWave resulting in longer playing time and correct speed based on
putting songs into the right key.  Correction ratio 44100 / 42100. Also bass EQ +15 dB.
>Noise profiled in Nero Wave Editor using noise only passage and removed 2 points below mean.
>Bass EQ +13.5dB  and Dynamic processing carried out in Nero Wave Editor. File normalization reduced
first to avoid peaks caused by raising bass substantially.
>Stereo Widening 50% without phasing carried out in Nero Wave Editor, I was reluctant to do this but it
really helps the ear to pick things out.
>Retracked in Nero Wave Editor (see list in original IFO file below)
>Flac Level 8

Obviously, remastering involves some trial and error and personal taste within the limitations of
the source material.
I spent quite a bit of time trying things out to get the best sound.  
There are still many parts that sound bad and cannot really be salvaged but Sandy Denny's
vocal is in many places quite clear.
Given the quality of the original source material, this is still for completists only.





Original Torrent (#174990) IFO File as below:


Fairport Convention
September 24, 1969
Royal Festival Hall
Premier performance of the Liege & Lief material

This is the premier performance of Fairport's Liege and Lief material.  This was one of the rarest of Fairport shows (and lagga's holy grail) until it surfaced in a wonderous trade.   Liege & Lief was the best album ever recorded and this lineup was the best Fairport lineup ever. For that alone, it's worth the bandwidth.  Toss in Swarbrick yodeling (or trying to) when they do Talk With Jesus...it's a must have no matter how crappy the sound is!  

Seriously, be prepared for one of the worst sounding recordings you'll ever hear, albeit one of the sweetest if you're an L&L freak or a Fairport-with-Sandy-and-Richard completist.    While historic, this is not something most people will listen to more than once, so don't download if you want to understand everything they're singing all the time.  However, there are a few of us out there who'll drag it out again and again. I do. Some of you might too.

I'll post a sample of one or two or three of the better parts.  I have not attempted to correct anything - I'm not good at that - this is exactly what I have.

Unlike many recordings, the taper appears to have not turned off his recorder between all the tracks and some of Sandy's between song chat is relatively clear.


01.Come All Ye
02.Reynardine
03.Sir Patrick Spens
04.Lark in the Morning
05.Farewell Farewell
06.Matty Groves
07.Quiet Joys of Brotherhood
08.Crazy Man Michael
09.Tam Lin
10.Mason's Appron
11.Ballad of Easy Rider
12.Talk With Jesus [cut]

Sadly the version i have heard sounds like it was recorded from outside the auditorium. It certainly helps to know the record to appreciate this recording.